Talk:Greased Gremlin
Retooled Version I wonder they retooled this casting? It's not like they used the original tool so much that they wore it out. After all, they only used it for 3 different versions, and one version was for only Mexico, so I'm sure it wasn't used very heavily for sales to only one country. Just wondering out loud. Kenny HaarFager 06:21, May 12, 2010 (UTC) :To me, Re-tooled means they changed something significant on the casting. It seems mattel's definition of re-tooled means they made a new tool for a lost or broken casting. Im pretty sure after being sent to mexico, they never saw that original tool again =P Sinnin 06:36, May 12, 2010 (UTC) ::Oh, so that's what they do? Fascinating. That's why I ask these seemingly pointless questions to find out the good stuff like this. It never occurred to me that they would just send the actual tool that stamps out the cars to Mexico and let them have it. I always thought they just stamped some out in their usual factory and sent these only to certain places like Mexico. I'll wager that if they did this in their earlier days because they thought the Greased Gremlin or certain vehicles like this weren't going to get any more life out of them, that they don't do it anymore! Thanks, David for this piece of information. It helps me to understand them more. So, I know that the Cadillac Seville ended up as a Mexico only variation. Does this mean we won't be seeing it anymore as well, I wonder? Isn't it possible that these molds still exist somewhere, tucked away in some little backwoods hacienda just south of the border? Somebody must be hanging on to a goldmine! Kenny HaarFager 06:47, May 12, 2010 (UTC) :::Dont take my assumption too literal. I dont know this for a fact, but it does seem any casting that has France, India, or Mexico on the base, is never seen again. (the recent jeep scrambler is also a re-tool and is actually about a 1/4" shorter then the original)... but i guess thats a different discussion. Sinnin 07:46, May 12, 2010 (UTC) ::::It is shorter! And you'll note that the new version doesn't have "Hot Wheels," "Mattel" or a copyright date stamped anywhere on the base. I wonder if this is so Mattel can imply that the copyright date is the same as the earlier version? Curious, anyway. Kenny HaarFager 08:24, May 12, 2010 (UTC) :::::Just checking up on the Jeep Scrambler and I find that the last time the old (first) version was used, was in 1988 - except for one more release in 1997. For this release, it had a base that was stamped "India." Apparently, it was an official release for the mainline. Perhaps Mattel had sent the mold to India, but needed one more release to complete their line for 1997 and asked the plant in India to run some off for them? I have the one with the India base and it's quality seems quite the equal of Hot Wheels sold here in America. I've heard that, for India, the quality of Hot Wheels was lowered somewhat. I don't know how true that is or if it's just a generalisation for certain pieces only. But, it's certainly fascinating to find that there are different vehicles produced for different parts of the world. Kenny HaarFager 08:34, May 12, 2010 (UTC)